Patterson City Council votes to put charter amendments on March ballot

PATTERSON -- The City Council voted Tuesday to put three proposed charter amendments on the March 26 ballot, at the same election at which an unexpired term on the council will be filled.

The council passed ordinances putting these proposed amendments to the City Charter before voters:

--The first would require the mayor to have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

--The second would allow the police chief to receive a raise during the same electoral term in which the City Council increases the chief's pay. Currently, the charter forbids a change in the chief's pay from taking effect until after the electoral term in which the change is approved. If the amendment passes, a pay cut still couldn't take effect until after the current term ends, but a pay raise could take effect immediately.

--The third would require candidates for police chief to have Peace Officer Standards and Training certification.

An ordinance proposing a charter amendment requires four votes from the five-member council to pass. Councilman Joe Russo was absent Tuesday because of an illness in his family. But council members Tina Johnson, John Rentrop, Travis Darnell and Lee Condolle voted yes on all three amendments.

The council also passed a resolution asking the secretary of state to place the amendments on the March 26 ballot. That's also the date when voters will pick a new council member to fill the unexpired term of Sandra K. Turner, who resigned earlier this year because she moved outside the city limits.

Johnson, who is Turner's daughter, is serving on the council in the interim.